The Peach Creek Winter Festival
by devoosha
Summary: READ BETWEEN "NEW YEARS EDD" and "THE EDS JOIN THE TABLE"! I forgot to post this earlier! Edd and Kevin join their friends for a day of fun at the Peach Creek Winter Festival.


**Note**: This falls between the New Years Eve story and "The Eds Join the Table". A MILLION apologies for forgetting to upload it to this site. It was uploaded on AO3, but for some reason I missed it here.

* * *

**The Peach Creek Winter Festival**

Edd paused in the hallway when he spotted Kevin leaning against the locker next to his own. Kevin didn't often talk to him at school, so it was a surprise to see his boyfriend waiting for him at his locker. Edd then glanced around at the other students in the hallway, which was busy due to being the beginning of the lunch period. He was a little concerned that many of the other teenagers passing his locker greeted Kevin either verbally or with fist bumps.

It was a week after school had started back up after the winter break for the holidays – a holiday season that had been happy for Edd – spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Kevin and his family – telling his parents about him and Kevin and the relief when they were happy for him – spending a few days with his mother's family in St. Louis to celebrate Hanukkah, where he also came out to them – it had all been wonderfully capped by the New Years Eve party at Kevin's house.

Unfortunately, the entire neighborhood was at the party, so Kevin and Edd had to be discreet. Their closest friends knew about them, of course, but the other 'kids' in the cul-de-sac didn't. Thankfully, by the end of the night, when they all counted down with shouts and laughter, he and Kevin were in a dark corner of the media room and were able to share their first New Year's kiss without anyone the wiser.

Kevin noticed him and his expression lit up. Edd knew he didn't do that consciously, but it made Edd a little anxious. He worked hard to control his own expressions when he saw Kevin at school, and he was concerned that Kevin didn't seem to take it as seriously as he did. Then he sighed. He knew Kevin took his promise to Edd to heart and wouldn't knowingly do anything to break that promise.

Kevin distractedly waved to a group of girls who passed by giggling out their 'Hi Kevin!''s to him, but his focus was mostly on Edd's approach.

"Hey Dee!" he said in a low, but excited, voice as Edd got to his locker and reached for the combination lock.

"Kevin," he said reprovingly. "Kindly remember not to use your nickname for me here at school."

"Sorry, Double Dee. I forgot," Kevin said, though he didn't look abashed at all and, in fact, gave Edd a cheeky grin that couldn't help but put a smile on the smaller boy's face.

"It is alright, Kevin. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"So formal," Kevin murmured. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"It could not wait until our tutoring session?" Edd asked, noting that another student from his homeroom had arrived at his locker two down from Edd's locker and could probably overhear his conversation. He gave Kevin a 'look' hoping that his boyfriend understood and wouldn't say anything compromising.

"I guess it could," Kevin said with a shrug. "But I figured it gave me a reason to see you," he added in a near whisper.

Edd had to admit it made him feel good that Kevin was always so eager to be with him. Even after almost two months, it still surprised him that Kevin, the most sought-after boy in this school wanted him. He smiled at Kevin, "Alright, I can accept that. What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked as he shoved his bag into his locker and reached to take out his lunch bag.

"Nazz mentioned that her and Eddy are planning on going to the winter carnival this weekend. She's hoping me, Rolf, you and Ed want to go too."

Edd nodded absently. The winter carnival was an annual festival in Peach Creek in January. Its purpose was break up the monotony of the cold winter month. It was a typical small town festival and held in the town center, complete with ice rink, food stalls, ice sculpture contest and a variety of other winter activities. Edd and his friends looked forward to it every year, of course, but this was the first year that any of the Eds had significant others. Edd surmised that it wouldn't be strange at all for anyone to see Eddy and Nazz together at the festival. However, him and Kevin? That was a different story.

Kevin must have noticed the small frown that formed on Edd's lips and added in another near-whisper, "We don't have to, you know, be obvious. I won't touch you or anything, Edd. But I would like you to be my date for it. I mean, it will be us all there as a group, so no one should get suspicious, if they even notice or care."

"You do not think it strange that the Eds and I would be seen with your friend group? We are not the same socially."

Kevin fought NOT to roll his eyes. Edd's obsession with their social status did have the effect of grating on his nerves. He understood, to be certain, but he thought Edd took it a little too far. Kevin honestly didn't pay attention to that stuff. Still, Kevin realized that for most, social status in high school was important. He shook his head. "Nah, not really. I mean, Eddy and Nazz are dating. No one will think it strange that they're at the carnival together. And if anyone cared - and I keep telling you no one does - they'll just see that Eddy and Nazz's friends are with them. You need to stop worrying about that."

Edd sighed, knowing on some level that Kevin was right. Edd just didn't want Kevin's reputation to suffer. Hanging out with the lowest members of the Peach Creek High Social Hierarchy could damage Kevin's social status and while Kevin said that he didn't care about it, Edd did. He didn't want to be the one to bring Kevin down in any way.

"I try, Kevin, I do," he said in a low tone as he shut his locker and spun the lock.

"I mean, we go out as a group all the time. So there really is no difference," Kevin said, pushing off the lockers so that he could walk with Edd toward the cafeteria.

"True. You are accompanying me to lunch?"

"Yeah, I'll walk up with you." Kevin saw Edd's expression and smothered the groan that threatened. "Just up to the cafeteria. Then we can part ways."

Edd noticed how bitter Kevin sounded and felt bad. Kevin always treated him so wonderfully; he hated to be like this with him at school. He wanted to say something - invite Kevin to sit with him - but he just couldn't yet. Instead, he settled for, "I think the carnival sounds fun. I should like to attend with you and our friends."

He was rewarded with Kevin's bright smile, "Yeah? Awesome!"

Edd smiled back, his fingers nervously twisting his lunch bag as they began ascending the stairs for the two-story climb to the third floor. "Yes. I cannot wait, Kevin."

* * *

"We should have walked," Eddy commented as Nazz tried to find a parking spot in the downtown area.

"We would freeze on the way home," Nazz reasoned as her eyes darted back and forth through the public parking lot. "It's not too cold right now, but it'll be in the teens tonight."

Before he could respond, Ed, who was next to Edd and Kevin in the back seat, shouted, "I see a spot!"

Nazz immediately turned and followed Ed's pointing finger and squeezed the car into the narrow opening. "There," she said in satisfaction, grinning around at her five passengers, "can everyone get out?"

Edd was happy to finally slip out of the car. With all six of them in it, he ended up sitting on Kevin's lap in between Rolf and Ed, much to his mortification. Not that he didn't enjoy being on Kevin's lap, but that left them open up for teasing from their friends, and little kisses and caresses from Kevin.

"What should we do first?" Eddy asked, rubbing his gloved hands together.

Edd, who was wrapping his scarf more securely around his neck, answered, "Perhaps a circuit of the carnival to see what the layout is and what there is to do before we decide on an activity?"

"The smart Edd-boy makes a good point!" Rolf said. "Rolf will lead the way!" he added, setting out toward the entrance.

"I guess we follow Rolf," Kevin said, laughing and the rest of them scurried after their friend.

Kevin caught up quickly to Rolf and walked by his side. Eddy and Nazz held hands as they walked behind them, followed by Edd and Ed. "Look, Double D!" Ed said, pointing at a hot air balloon that was rising from somewhere near the center of the carnival.

"Goodness, I cannot even imagine how cold it is up there," Edd said, his eyes following the object into the sky.

"It would be cool to watch the fireworks from that balloon," Ed said.

Edd laughed. "I highly doubt they would leave it in the air during the fireworks, Ed. That could be quite the disaster."

They reached the gate and stood in line to purchase their tickets. Edd has his wallet out to buy his, but before he stepped up for his turn, Kevin yanked on his sleeve. When Edd glanced at him, Kevin showed him two tickets in his hand. Edd's eyes lifted to meet Kevin's, noting the grin on his boyfriend. "Got yours, Dee," he said in a quiet voice. "Don't forget, you're my date."

"Kevin..." he began in protest.

"Nope, don't want to hear it. Besides, I already bought it."

Edd shook his head, though his lips lifted in a smile. He tucked his wallet back into his pocket and said, "Alright. But at least let me buy you dinner," he bargained.

"Deal!" Kevin said brightly as he handed the two tickets to the older man at the gate.

* * *

After browsing the ice sculptures, the friends walked through the area where the warming tents were - tents with sides to keep the wind out - reading the signs of what each tent contained. Mostly food and one with the tempting offer of hot chocolate. They stopped at the chili cook-off tent to check the times of the tastings when they heard Kevin's name shouted. As one, the group of friends turned to see Jake waving to them. He was with his own group of friends.

Kevin waved back and the other teens came over to join them. Edd edged over to be slightly behind Ed, intimidated by this group of popular classmates. Though he had worked with some of them on volunteer projects during the holiday season, he still felt uncomfortable around them. He knew they were all friends of Kevin's. At least, Kevin had told him as much. There was Jake, a boy about Edd's height, and Jake's girlfriend, Carla - a pretty Hispanic girl with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. Edd also recognized Joel and Ben who were there with a couple of girls whose names Edd had no trouble recalling - Maddie and Angel. The boys were all on the baseball team with Kevin, and the girls were all pretty and popular. Edd remembered Kevin mentioning that Joel was always dating someone different and that Ben was in a serious relationship with Angel. Maddie was actually in some of Edd's honors classes and must be Joel's current fling.

They went through a round of hellos to each other. Of course, Nazz and Rolf knew them all - Jason, Joel, Ben and Angel always sat with them at lunch. Edd also knew that Carla didn't live in Peach Creek, but seemed to know Nazz and Rolf fairly well. She and Nazz hugged anyway. Edd listened from his hiding spot behind Ed as Nazz introduced Carla to Eddy and Ed. "Where's Double D?" she asked, and he forced himself to step slightly aside to give a half-hearted and nervous smile to the other group.

It didn't appear that the Eds presence bothered anyone. In fact, the other teens greeted the Eds warmly, which did surprise him. Edd was a little unnerved by the way Carla looked at him, with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. When she caught his glance, she grinned at him, which made him even more nervous for some reason.

"We were gonna go ice skate," Joel said. "There was barely anyone on the rink when we went by a little bit ago. Wanna come?"

Edd's friends all looked at each other and nodded. "Yeah, sure," Kevin said. "Sounds fun."

"They have skate rentals," Jake said as they all started moving en masse toward the rink. "The ice rink is sponsoring it and looks like they brought their skates for the thing."

Nazz had moved to walk with Carla and the other two girls, so Eddy dropped back to hook his arms with Edd and Ed's. "See, this is fun, isn't it boys? Hanging out with the popular kids and ice-skating. Now I can show off my mad skills to Nazz!"

"What 'mad skills', Eddy?" Edd asked in amusement. "The spectacular ways you fall over when trying to skate backwards?"

Eddy shot him a glare, "For your information, Sockhead, I learned how to go backwards ages ago."

"I seem to recall you falling many times just last year on the pond."

Eddy snorted, "Says you. That pond had tripping hazards."

Edd covered his mouth with his gloved hand to hide his laughter, "If you say so."

The rink was nearly empty. There was just a family there, skating in circles - a couple and two kids who looked to be around seven and five. The group went to the booth to rent skates and Edd was a little chagrined to see Kevin waiting for him to step up to the window for his pair. When Edd got to the window and gave his size to the attendant, Kevin gave his size as well. "Kevin," Edd warned, looking over his shoulder at the others.

"They're all putting on their skates and not paying attention," Kevin shrugged, handing over the money for both of their rentals over to the clerk. The pair turned to go to one of the benches and sat. "I told you, you're my date this weekend and I'm paying."

Edd recognized Kevin's 'stubborn' voice. Edd knew when Kevin used that tone it was useless to argue it. Kevin sometimes got certain ideas stuck in his head and Edd couldn't change his mind. Kevin was apparently determined to play this carnival trip out as a date and Edd could do nothing about it. Except leave, but Edd knew he wouldn't do that. In spite of his general anxiety, he was enjoying this time with Kevin and their friends.

He exchanged his boots for the skates, catching Carla's eyes once again when he sat up straight. That smile she gave him from her spot on the other bench put up his guard. Though he wasn't particularly close to Kevin, he scooted over a few inches to put more space between them. Jake then distracted Carla as he pulled her to her feet and, holding her hand, he led her to the rink.

In spite of being rather unathletic, Edd was actually a good skater, as anyone who grew up in the upper Midwest should be. He couldn't play hockey well, as many of his classmates could, but he could skate forwards, backwards, and fast. They had spent many afternoons in the winter skating on the pond in the woods behind their cul-de-sac. He enjoyed skating, and eagerly joined the rest of the party on the ice.

All of them could skate well. Eddy had told the truth about perfecting his backwards skating, but he mostly just circled the rink with Nazz, holding tight to her hand and sometimes spinning her around as she laughed. The other couples, too, generally skated hand in hand, leaving Edd, Kevin, Rolf and Ed alone. Those four held races up and down the rink with each other. Edd felt his nervousness drain away with how much fun he was having.

Kevin was surprised that Edd won a few of the races against him. His little boyfriend was always surprising him and he loved it. The problem, Kevin saw, was that Edd just looked so beautiful to him right now that he wanted to sweep him away and find a private little place to kiss on him. Edd was dressed for warmth and looked cozy in his oversized parka, scarf, mittens and proverbial hat. Edd's cheeks were a bright red and his smile seemed permanently frozen on his face. Edd's lovely eyes sparkled with amusement and fun, the way they sparkled when he and Kevin made out, which only served to make Kevin want to do that more.

Kevin would give anything right now to skate over to his little boyfriend, take his hand and spin him around, as Eddy was doing at the moment with Nazz. He wanted to pull Edd close and kiss those bright red cheeks and that smiling mouth. However, he knew he couldn't do that with everyone here. Edd would freak out, and so might his other friends, to be honest. He sighed, his happy mood dampening with his thoughts. However, he did do the next best thing. "I'm 'IT'!" he shouted, then picked up his pace toward Edd, who realized too late what Kevin meant. With a laughing cry, Edd shot off in the opposite direction to try to escape Kevin, but Kevin had too fast of a start. He practically collided with Edd, grabbing the smaller boys' arms to halt his momentum, but sending them into a small spin.

"You're IT!" Kevin yelled, then, and dizzily skated away.

Edd stood looking after him in shock, then chose to chase after Ed. In a few minutes, the entire group was in on the game and it was a confused mess of everyone chasing everyone else. Even the couple and their children joined in on the fun. The guys were shouting, the girls were screeching, and everyone was laughing until they could barely breathe or stand on their skates. Kevin chased Edd to tag each time he was IT, loving that he got to get his hands on Edd, if even for a brief moment.

Edd was so touched to see Kevin play tag with the two little kids, a boy and a girl, who were both easily tagged, but obviously had trouble catching any of the older teens. Kevin, however, made sure to skate slowly, going so far as to fake a fall once so that the boy could tag him. It warmed Edd's heart to see Kevin laughing, but yelling "No don't get me!" as the little boy wobbled towards him on his skates. The grin on the child's face was huge and proud that he could tag such a big kid as Kevin.

Kevin enjoyed kids. He was a big kid himself, essentially, and loved to play games with some of the younger kids in the neighborhood. He had always gotten along with Nazz's younger brother and had babysat a few times for a couple who had moved into the cul-de-sac not long after he started junior high. Kids loved Kevin too, because he wasn't afraid to get down on their level, play on the ground or the floor, and be goofy and fun. Kevin often dreamed of being a dad.

He looked up and caught Edd's eyes as the little boy fell on top of him screeching "YOU IT!" and his breath caught. Edd was looking at him with such a FOND look. He wondered, as he laughingly got up onto his feet to chase after Edd once again, if Edd ever thought of having kids. Technically, they could adopt or surrogate, if their relationship ever got to that point. He caught Edd and tagged him easily before skating away, trying to shake his head of those questions. It was too early in their relationship to think about that.

One by one, the group of teens staggered off the rink and collapsed on the benches surrounding the ice, exhausted from chasing each other. They were all still laughing, however, their eyes and cheeks bright and hurting from smiling so much. Who would have thought that such a silly child's game would be so fun to a group of older teenagers? But it was fun to be totally silly with each other. Even Edd, whose social anxiety had spiked when the other group of teens had joined his friend group, felt a sort of euphoria by being able to let loose on the ice.

"Isn't it time for the chili cook-off?" Eddy asked when they had all almost caught their breath.

"There's a chili cook-off?" Joel asked, perking up.

"Yeah," Eddy answered. "For like five bucks you can go in and get a sample of each of the entries and then vote on them. I think there's twenty or so restaurants that entered."

"Does everyone feel like doing that?" Jake asked and received all enthusiastic yesses from everyone.

There was a scramble to find their own shoes from the storage shelves and exchange the borrowed skates for their footwear. Edd's boots took awhile to lace up, and Kevin waited for him, so they went up to the rental booth to return their skates together.

"Have fun, Dee?"

"Edd," Edd reminded him with an alarmed glance that softened into a smile. "And yes, I had quite a lot of fun."

"My friends ain't too bad, huh?"

"Are not," Edd corrected meticulously as he handed the skates over to the attendant. "No, they are not too bad, Kevin. I am still uneasy, but they seem to be a nice group."

"Why uneasy?" Kevin asked as he handed over his skates, then turned to walk with Edd, trailing behind the others.

"It is as I said before, Kevin. I am clearly not of their social standing, nor am I the type of person with whom any of them would choose to hang out. If the Eds and I were not with you, Nazz and Rolf, all of them would ignore us," he said, matter-of-factly and waving his hand toward them.

"Give them some credit," Kevin argued. "They aren't mean people."

Edd gave him an amused look, "I am not saying they are mean, Kevin. They are just like many of the other kids at school. Unaware of the existence of the lowest form of life in the school building."

Kevin frowned. "You are NOT a lower form of life, Dee," he said in an angry tone. "Stop putting yourself down, alright? I don't like it when you do. You're amazing and I hope you know that I see it. It's their loss if they can't."

Edd blushed and looked away a little frustrated. He always had a hard time getting Kevin to understand what he meant when he talked about his social standing at school. It was a very real thing, though Kevin either didn't realize it or chose not to realize it. Kevin was popular and always had been. Edd did not begrudge him that. In fact, Edd was proud that Kevin was so well liked by their peers. Kevin didn't know what it felt like to be ignored – or worse, made fun of, belittled, picked on, and bullied. Edd hoped he never would, which was the main reason that Edd was reluctant that they come out as a couple. A gay Kevin? And a Kevin that dated the nerdiest kid in the school? Surely that would bring Kevin's status and reputation down, and Edd was determined that Kevin would never experience what Edd had throughout his years as a member of the socially unacceptable in their school.

Unfortunately, Edd had a hard time explaining this to Kevin. It was difficult to even talk about his past bullying with Kevin. Especially seeing as how one of his bullies was Kevin so many years ago. That had stopped after the incident with Eddy's brother, and Edd remembered Kevin apologizing not long after that happened. Edd hated to bring back the memories of bullying after that. Kevin's bullying was never as bad as what he experienced once entering junior high, which made him forever grateful that he had the other Eds to stand up for him. They stopped a lot of it, but there were a few humiliating incidents that Edd never wanted to think about.

To tell Kevin about them seemed impossible. He was sure Kevin would try to understand, but no matter how much Kevin wanted to, he couldn't. If the bullying wasn't bad enough, being ignored was, in a way, worse. Edd didn't mind being left alone; he preferred it, actually. Yet, to know that no one really knew he existed was a little bruising to the ego and the soul. He had attended school with these other friends of Kevin for over five years and worked with Jake, Ben and Joel during the holiday at the soup kitchen, but Edd could tell none of them really knew who he was. He knew all of them, of course, but to know that he was never on their radar did hurt a bit.

He also felt he could not tell Kevin the true reasons he didn't want it known they were a couple. Edd knew Kevin wouldn't understand. He knew Kevin wanted to make their relationship public, but Edd thought that Kevin couldn't quite see the consequences of it. Edd could and it frightened him. Not because he was worried about himself, but because he was worried about Kevin. Kevin had good friends and Edd was afraid that Kevin might lose them. Look at how much fun Kevin had with them this afternoon. Would they even want to associate with Kevin once they knew he was gay?

It hurt him to sort of deceive Kevin, because he thought that they should be completely honest with each other. Unfortunately, it was easier to let Kevin believe that Edd was afraid for himself. It wasn't a complete lie. Edd was uneasy about what would happen to him once it was out that they were together. He was sure others would think he had turned Kevin gay or some other such nonsense. He was sure there would be consequences. However, even though there were concerns for his own safety, he was also worried about Kevin's.

He sighed, drawing up a smile on his face when he turned back to look at Kevin. "I know, Kevin. I try to believe that. Trust me, I try. It is not easy for me to adjust my thinking on the matter."

Kevin relented and returned Edd's smile. "I know, sweetheart," he said in a quiet voice, reaching to touch Edd's shoulder, which served to warm Edd in spite of the fact that he was wearing a thick parka and Kevin's hands wore gloves. He glanced nervously at the group ahead of them as well as around them to see if anyone noticed. No one seemed to be looking their way, though they had arrived at the chili cook-off tent and the others were filing in.

"Do not forget, Kevin, that I promised to buy you dinner," he said in a soft voice. "So the chili is on me."

"Sure thing, Edd!" Kevin said, grinning, and Edd was relieved he remembered to call him by his real name.

The others had paid for their tickets into the chili tent ahead of them, so Kevin and Edd got in the line and waited for their turn. They took off their gloves as they stepped into the warmer area and Edd handed the smiling woman at the entrance ten dollars and received two tickets and directions to turn them in at the voting booth in order to get their voting slips. The boys moved over to the table, where everyone else was standing waiting for them. All had small clipboards in their hands. Edd and Kevin handed their tickets over and received their own, with instructions to use it to make notes on their favorites. They were to visit each chili station and receive their sample, eat it, and then at the end decide on their favorite overall and enter their vote.

Edd breathed in a deep breath, closing his eyes at the spicy and rich smell in the tent. The clashing of the variety of chilis simmering away in crock-pots at each station was overwhelming, but it smelled so good. The inside of the tent was warm, too, and crowded. This was a new event at the winter festival and it appeared that everyone wanted to check it out. Edd looked down at the clipboard and the stack of papers clipped to it. The papers had the number of the station with a space for notes should the taster wish to make them. The tasting was blind. The stations did not list the restaurant names and festival volunteers handed out the samples. Edd assumed this was so that no one could cheat the system.

The group dispersed among the stations and Edd specifically moved away from Kevin and approached the first station with Ed. He caught the slight frown Kevin gave him before Kevin went across the tent with Jake and Carla. He and Ed waited patiently in line for their turn, Edd listening to Ed ramble on about how much he liked chili and how excited he was to try all the different ones. At the front of the line, a volunteer handed them a cup full of chili and a spoon. Apparently, each station offered a cupful of their own recipe. Edd and Ed stepped aside in order to taste their samples.

"This is good, Double D," Ed said around a mouthful.

"It is, Ed. A very rich flavor, yet not too spicy. Just enough heat to warm one up, but not too much so that you cannot taste the other flavors," Edd agreed.

"How come you're not eating with Kevin?"

Edd blinked at the abrupt change of topic and glanced around. "Please remember not to speak about Kevin and myself around others, Ed."

Ed frowned, "I know. I'm sorry. It's just. Well, you both smile more when you're with each other."

Edd couldn't help smiling at that. "Because he makes me happy, Ed."

"Then why not be together?"

"We are hesitant to let others know about us yet."

Ed sighed, then shoved another spoonful of chili into his mouth. "I don't understand why, Double D. When someone makes you happy, you should be with them all the time."

"It is complicated, Ed. Some people may not approve of Kevin and I as a couple."

"Those people don't matter," Ed said, grinning at Edd. "All that matters is you're happy, right?"

"That may be true, Ed, but many people still do not think that boys should like each other in a romantic way. I do not want Kevin to be hurt. Or lose friends over this."

"If his friends don't like it, then they aren't good people," Ed stated, then tossed out his empty cup into one of the trash receptacles. Ed pointed at the group around Kevin. "They seem nice. I don't think they'd stop being friends with Kevin."

Edd's smile wasn't quite true when he looked at Ed. "They do seem nice, but I am still frightened of what may happen. Maybe soon I shall be alright with other people knowing, but for now, I would rather keep it just between us and our closest friends."

"I won't say anything," Ed promised, but instead of moving to the next table, he grabbed Edd's arm and pulled him over to the group with Kevin. "Hey Kevin!" he called.

Edd hoped Kevin wouldn't be annoyed, but the smile on his face when he saw Edd and Ed indicated that he was anything but. "Hi Eds!" he replied with a grin. "Did you try this one yet?" he asked, pointing to the table a few feet away.

"No we just tried that one," Ed gestured to the other side of the tent.

"Number 17," Edd supplied, not quite meeting Kevin's eyes and instead focusing on the clipboard in his hand so that he could write his notes on the sample.

"Try this one, it's pretty good," Kevin said, lifting his cup of chili a little. "Uh…" he looked over at the sign, "Number 3."

"It is pretty good," Jake agreed, and the others spoke up their agreement as well. Edd nodded a little jerkily, still nervous being around this group in a setting where social interaction was expected. It was fine on the ice, when he didn't have to worry about speaking or making eye contact, but here in the crowded tent his anxiety crept back into his consciousness.

They spent about an hour in the chili tent, sampling each of the twenty entries and arguing with each other about which one they preferred. The others argued. Edd listened, unable to contribute much to the conversation. He had his opinions, of course, but didn't feel comfortable enough vocalizing them. He was grateful that Ed seemed to listen to him earlier and didn't say anything further about him and Kevin or their relationship. Edd was not fully able to avoid Kevin – his boyfriend kept seeking him out - though Edd rarely spoke to even him.

Edd reached the table for the last sample he had yet to try and retrieved his cup from the volunteer, then edged over behind a group of older men who were arguing over two of the chilis. Edd's anxiety was reaching its' peak due to being in such a small space with so many people and trying to avoid Kevin. He at least was able to concentrate on the chili he tasted and ate it thoughtfully without paying too much attention to what was around him.

"What do you think of that one?" he heard a feminine voice ask next to him.

He looked up into the eyes of Carla. She was watching him with an amused look and was pulling her spoon out of her mouth. Even Edd had to concede that she was quite a beautiful girl. Her tanned skin seemed to glow, and the long black hair streaming out from under her knitted hat seemed to have a life of it's own. It nearly mesmerized him – it was so shiny and crackled from static electricity. "Um," he answered hesitantly. "It is very good, though not my favorite." He suppressed a groan at how his voice wavered.

"Which was your favorite?"

"Um," he said, wishing he wasn't so intimidated that he couldn't say anything more eloquent than 'um'. "I enjoyed number five the most."

She looked over to the table for number five and said, "Ah yeah. They were pretty good. Not spicy enough for me. I liked nine the best."

"That was a little too spicy for me," he said. "I like spicy, but I couldn't taste anything but the heat."

She grinned at him even as she scraped the bottom of her cup for the last of her sample. "The spicier the better for me. I think it had habaneros in it and I love them. But I'm used to spicy foods. My Mama always makes everything hot."

"What kind of food does she cook?"

"Mostly Mexican. That's what we are. Or at least, all of my grandparents came from Mexico ages ago. My Abuela can cook like you wouldn't believe and Mama learned from her. It's not always really spicy, but my Papa prefers it that way, so Mama spices it up for him."

"I enjoy Mexican food, though I do not often cook it myself. I have tried a few recipes, but it never seems to come out as good as the food at our local place. It is run by a couple from Mexico and their food is quite delicious." Edd started to feel slightly at ease with the conversational topic of food, though he still kept his guard up. Those brown eyes seemed to be intently studying him, in spite of the friendly expression on the girls' face.

"Monterrey, right?" Carla asked. When Edd nodded, she said, "Jake has taken me there and they are really close to perfect. The best I've had around here, anyway. Almost as good as my Mama." She paused for a moment, regarding him thoughtfully. "If you like Mexican food, you should come to my house sometime and try some authentic stuff. Like you and Kevin could come up with Jake some weekend."

Edd blinked a few times in surprise. He was astonished at the invitation, because not only did he not know the friendly girl, but also because he was not someone with whom he thought she would want to spend time. She was a beautiful girl, as well as dating one of the most popular boys at his school. And why would she mention Kevin? "Come over?"

"Yeah, you're friends with Jake, aren't you?"

Edd hesitated. He didn't want to offend her and point out that he was completely out of Jake's social circle. "Um, no, not exactly. I do not know him very well."

"Oh," she said, her eyes widening. "I didn't realize. I figured you were friends with Kevin, so you'd be friends with him."

Edd shook his head. "No, we do not hang out in the same friend group. I am friends with Kevin, but at school," he began, then hesitated again. "Um, I am afraid that we do not know each other. I do not think Jake even knows who I am." He looked away after saying that.

"Oh I'm sure that's not true," Carla assured him and Edd looked once again at her.

He shrugged, then remembered the chili in his hands and dipped his spoon back into it. He kept his attention on the food and tried not to show his nervousness as Carla continued to watch him. Unable to abide the silence between them, however, he said, "I am not very noticeable at school."

"You'd be surprised," she said lightly.

"I would be," he agreed.

"Double D!"

Edd started a bit when he heard Kevin call his name, then became agitated as he felt his cheeks warm up. Carla watched him with a smile, which served to make his face completely turn bright red. "Yes, Kevin?" he asked when Kevin joined them.

"Hey Carla!" Kevin said by way of greeting Jake's girlfriend. "Are you done?" he asked, directing the question at Edd. "Nazz mentioned grabbing churros at the churro stand."

"This is my last tasting," Edd said in a quiet voice, lifting the nearly empty cup.

"Did you say churros?" Carla spoke up. "I'm down for that. Does Jake know? He has a weakness for them."

"Yeah, he practically drooled when Nazz suggested it," Kevin said with a grin. "Are you done?"

She nodded, "I am. I'm gonna go toss my vote in and find Jake." The girl waved her fingers at the pair and turned to go.

Kevin looked curiously at Edd when he heard a loud sigh escape his boyfriend. "You ok, Dee?" he asked. "You're all red and look upset."

"It is nothing, Kevin."

"You sure?"

Edd nodded. "I did not like how she looked at me."

Kevin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It is like she knows something."

"How could she? I barely ever even see her. I think the last time I saw Carla was when we went up to Lemon Brook and that was only for a few minutes."

"I do not know, Kevin, but she makes me quite nervous."

"Carla? She's, like, the nicest girl on the planet after Nazz."

"Even so," Edd said, shrugging. He didn't like how upset Kevin looked, so he changed the subject. "Let us put in our votes and rejoin the group."

* * *

"We need to get a good spot," Eddy insisted.

"I don't know where the best spot is," Jake admitted.

"Usually by the statue. But that's blocked off for some reason this year," Eddy said in a sour tone.

"We can go stand by the ice rink," Nazz suggested. "That's close to the statue."

"There's a couple of trees that might get in the way," Ben pointed out.

"The fireworks should be high enough that they won't be blocked by the trees," Kevin said.

Edd stood off to the side next to Ed, listening to the rest of the group argue over the best spot at the festival grounds in which to see the fireworks show planned for the evening. He was agitated again – Carla kept smiling at him and he could not understand why. His only explanation was that she might know something, but he had to agree with Kevin's logic that there was not any way she could. Still, her apparent friendliness unnerved him and he tried to avoid her.

He also had his own opinion on where they should all stand for the best view of the fireworks, but Edd just could not speak up. Edd hovered on the fringe of the group after the chili event, keeping away not only from Carla, but also from Kevin. He stuck close to Ed, who happily smiled at him whenever they caught each other's eyes.

"What do you think, Double D?"

"I prefer to stand near the snack stands. There are no trees there, and while the angle may not be the best, it should afford us a clear view of the sky," Edd answered.

"Hey!" Ed shouted, and all eyes in the group snapped to him. "Double D says the snack stands are the best place to watch." Edd, embarrassed as he suddenly became the center of attention, shrunk in on himself.

"Is that your scientific opinion, Sockhead?" Eddy asked, his tone amused.

Caught on the spot, Edd could only answer faintly, "Surely it is, Eddy. As I said to Ed, the angle is not the most ideal, but we shall have a full and clear view of the sky."

"Double D's the smartest one here, so he's probably right," Kevin said, winking at the flustered boy.

The group, surprisingly to Edd, all agreed to head that way. It was, as Eddy pointed out, close to the time the fireworks were supposed to start. Again, Edd hovered at the back of the pack of friends with Ed, who seemed to sense that Edd needed his presence.

"You were right Double D," Joel called out once they reached the spot Edd had indicated. "This should be perfect!"

Much to his mortification, Edd was once again the center of attention as they all voiced their praise of his choice of viewing spot. He stopped himself from completely hiding behind Ed, but it took effort to stay put. He muttered his 'thank you' to the group in general and was happy once their attention turned back to their own conversations, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

"See, Double D? I told you they were friendly," Ed said complacently.

Edd hummed in a non-committal way. It was dark now, and the food stands had stopped selling in preparation for the fireworks. Lights were starting to turn off around them, to allow the crowd to enjoy the light show. Edd, who was close to Ed's side, felt another presence join them and he didn't have to turn his head to know that Kevin had edged his way through the group to stand next to him.

"Did you have a good day, Dee?" The whisper, with Kevin's warm breath, warmed his chilled ear and sent a shiver down his back. Kevin always had this effect on him. He closed his eyes, grateful for the darkness that was now enshrouding them.

"I have had a lovely day, Kevin," Edd murmured just loud enough for Kevin to hear.

"I know you were a little stressed today, but I'm glad you still had fun."

"I always have fun with you."

The first burst of light in the sky caught their attention, the typical "Ooh's", and "Aah's" floated over the crowd that had gathered. The Peach Creek Winter Festival prided itself on their fireworks display, which rivaled the one held during the Fourth of July. Edd spared a glance at Kevin, admiring how the colored lights danced on his skin and how Kevin's eyes shone in the reflected light. Kevin must have felt Edd's eyes on him because he looked down at his boyfriend and smiled that oh-so-fond smile that he brought out only for Edd. Edd felt Kevin's hand nudge his and, throwing caution to the wind, Edd joined his mittened hand with Kevin's. His heart ached, in a good way, to see how happy Kevin's expression turned before they both looked up to watch the fire dancing in the sky.

* * *

Jake yawned and blinked his eyes a few times to try and wake himself up. He drove slowly up the highway towards Lemon Brook and Carla sat quietly in the passenger seat looking at her phone. He was tired – it had been a long day – and he was glad he planned to stay at Carla's parents' place, as he didn't think he'd be up for the drive home. He wondered for a brief second why he didn't suggest she stay at his place. "Talk to me baby," he requested. "Keep me awake."

She shut off her phone off and turned her head, smiling fondly at him. "Sure, babe. What do you want to talk about?"

"Have a good time today?"

"I did. Your friends are so nice. I like them all. I wish I got to see them more."

"They like you too."

"Even those Eds are nice. They're funny."

"Yeah, I don't really know them all that well. I've never had classes with either of the Eds. Ed is kinda slow, I think, so he's in basic classes. Double D is super smart, like genius level, so I'm definitely not sharing classes with him." Carla chuckled at that. "I've had classes with Eddy. He's kinda loud, but harmless. But yeah, I don't really know them."

"That's what Double D said."

"I saw you talking to him."

"He's really shy," she said, reaching up to tuck her static-y hair behind her ear. Wearing a hat all day had infused the black tresses with static electricity. "I thought maybe you were friends, since he's friends with Kevin. We were talking about Mexican food and I invited him to come have some. You know Mama will feed anyone. He looked surprised and said he didn't even think you knew his name."

Jake glanced at her with raised eyebrows. Just because he never really interacted with someone didn't mean he didn't know who the person was. Of course he knew of Double D. Anyone would know the smartest person at the school. Or rather, he thought with a grimace, he knew people dubbed the poor kid as the biggest nerd. Jake was annoyed at labels like that and angry because he knew that Edd was picked on and bullied sometimes. Double D was a nice, quiet, and harmless kid who did nothing to anyone.

"I mean, I guess it's true that I don't know him personally, but I know who he is. We worked on some volunteer projects with the Eds, so…" he trailed off with a shrug. "What did he say?"

"He never really answered. I said he and Kevin could come one weekend and he looked really nervous about that."

"Don't know why he would be."

Carla was silent for a few minutes and Jake finally took another quick glance at her. She had a sly little smile on her face. "What's that look for?"

"Is there something going on between Kevin and Double D?"

"What!?" Jake exclaimed, looking sharply back at her again and almost swerved off the road.

"It's a simple question."

"What do you mean going on?"

"You know what I mean, Jake," she said in an impatient tone.

"You think Kevin and Edd are what? Together?"

"Yes."

"What makes you think that!?"

She shrugged, "I thought that when we saw Kevin at the pharmacy. He got really nervous when he told you he was hanging out with Double D that day and even more nervous when we suggested they join us for dinner."

"I didn't notice that."

"You never notice anything," she teased.

He made a face at her. "I do too."

She chose not to answer that. "Anyway. Today? You didn't see how they acted around each other? They constantly caught each other's eye and gave each other the sweetest smiles. They were flirting with each other while we were skating and that smile that Edd gave Kevin when Kevin looked at him after that little boy tagged him was SO adoring and Kevin looked so happy. Kevin paid for his skate rental and Double D paid for Kevin's chili judging ticket. Edd got super nervous when I mentioned him and Kevin coming for dinner and I swear I saw them holding hands during the fireworks."

"No way. Kevin's not gay."

"He could be bi," she countered.

"He dates girls!"

"Bi means he could date both," she pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"No, I mean, no. I just can't believe that."

"Has Kevin ever had a girlfriend?"

"Of course he…" and Jake paused as he thought about it. Kevin hadn't. He'd dated, to be sure, but Jake realized that any of those dates were basically a 'one-and-done' deal. The girls were the ones to ask Kevin out. He'd go and rarely ever went on a second date with whichever girl it was. Kevin never bragged about one-night stands and Jake just assumed he was either private or respective of the girls' feelings, but maybe they never happened? In short – "No, I guess. He's never gone steady with anyone."

"I think he's hiding that he's gay or bi," Carla said. "And I think he's dating Double D. At least, that's what my gut is telling me."

Jake went quiet as he thought about Carla's speculation. It did make sense, though it was hard to adjust his mind to think of Kevin that way. Not that he disapproved or was disgusted by it. He just never had pictured Kevin as gay. Still, if Kevin were into guys, many things suddenly made sense. "I guess I can see what you mean," he conceded.

"I think it's cute if they are. Edd seemed really nice, even though he was so shy talking to me."

Jake nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm gonna watch them a little closer now."


End file.
